


I'll never leave you alone

by sentimental_boy



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 07:31:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15019724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sentimental_boy/pseuds/sentimental_boy
Summary: You find out that Peter's a mutant. He panics.





	I'll never leave you alone

 

Peter can’t believe he was so stupid. Thinking you wouldn’t notice. Not at least having a plan for this very situation. You’ve known him since elementary school. You’ve been inseparable for years and he had to go and ruin it by being careless. His mom always told him he’d have to face consequences one day if he didn’t learn to control his impulses. He thought training with the x-men was helping. He was growing up, learning responsibility. But now- he takes a breath. Maybe he’s being dramatic. You’ve been friends forever and dating the last few years. In all that time he’s never once heard you say anything prejudiced against mutants. You’ve even defended them.

 

-0-

 

“You don’t think mutants are dangerous?” He asked. “It doesn’t scare you, what they can do?”

 

“It’s new, and no one understands it yet but that’s all mutation is- new and different. Calling them mutants is a way to separate them, to turn people’s fear against one, solid enemy. But they’re just like us.”

 

He lets out a breath. You don’t know how right you are.

 

“I mean, yeah-”

 

His stomach drops as you continue.

 

“Some misuse their power to hurt others but that doesn't mean they're all bad. It’s the same story again and again. The people who hold power in society use the actions of a few to say that that’s how that entire marginalized group is." You pause, your mind catching up with your passion for the topic. "Peter, do you disagree?”

 

He shakes his head. “No, I agree with you. I couldn’t have put it better myself. I was just wondering. When that’s how so many people see u- see uh, mutants, I wanted to know what you thought. It's a little different with mutants because people perceive them as a real threat. People could- and  _ do _ give you real reasons why they’re afraid of"  _ us  _ "mutants.”

 

“My point still stands. Criminals are criminals no matter what group you're a part of. According to the law, you’re innocent until proven guilty. That shouldn't change because someone's a mutant. It’s basic, across the board. There’s no room for exceptions.  _ That's _ what's going to take our humanity away from us.”

 

He couldn’t keep the smile from settling on his face. “I love you.”

 

You both froze when those words tumbled out of his mouth. He had to have looked like a deer in the headlights. He was winding up to backtrack when your lips connected with his for the first time.

 

-0-

 

But thinking mutants should have basic human rights, and dating one, are two different things.

 

He got impatient. You were walking through the park when you had to go to the bathroom. He walked you over and was going to wait for you to get out. Then he saw a hot dog cart and went to get two. He didn’t think anything of speeding over there because no one had ever called him out on it before. Mutants are still in hiding for the most part. Most people still don’t believe in mutant powers until they see them. It usually helps that they don’t know what they saw in his case. Usually. But you’ve been picking up on things over the years. Nothing he couldn’t brush off with a look and a joke about you being crazy. But then he has the two hot dogs in his hand and he speeds off to a nearby bench, only to look up and see you staring at him in shock. You saw him; there's not a doubt in his mind. So he panicked and ran off.

 

And that brings him to now, in his mom’s basement, with his head in his hands, spiraling. The more he thinks about it, the worse it gets. He imagines finally confronting you in countless ways, but each time you hate him. Sometimes it’s because he’s a mutant. Other times it’s because he kept it from you. The worst times are when you tell him it’s been coming for a long time and this is the last straw. He doesn’t know how long he’s been sitting here, going over this in his head but he stands and starts packing his things; for good this time. He’ll go live at the school and he won’t have to hear you tell him how much you hate him. Then he opens the door. You’re standing there, your hand hovering, about to knock, before you catch up and lower your hand.

 

“Peter.” You breathe, going to hug him but he flinches away. “Peter, I-”

 

He waits a second before nodding. “It’s okay, I’m leaving. You don’t need to say anything.”

 

“Peter, no. Can we sit down and talk about this?”

 

“I don’t know what there is to talk about.”

 

“Maybe how you ran off after I saw… whatever it was that I saw you do. Look, I don't know how to approach this. You're scared and I'm trying to process the fact that my best friend and boyfriend has been keeping this huge part of himself from me.”

 

He sighs and steps to the side, setting his bags down. “Fine.”

 

As you walk past him, you take his hand in yours. He looks down at it in surprise but doesn’t move away this time.

 

"How long were you waiting out there?" He murmurs.

 

"A couple hours."

 

"You've been out there all that time?"

 

"Well, it's not like I could throw rocks at your window." You bump your shoulders together, finally getting a smile out of him.

 

"Why didn't you come in?"

 

"I knocked and tried to talk to you when I got here but you didn't answer. I figured you needed your time to figure out how you wanted to handle this. Didn't want to scare you off."

 

He lets out a breath in disbelief. "I don't know if I could bring myself to run from you. Not for real."

 

"Good. You scared me back there. I've never seen you like that. Not with me."

 

"Sorry."

 

“You dealt with it the way you knew how. It appears that your flight response has some substance behind it."

 

He chuckles. "You could say that."

 

"So do you want to tell me about it?" You ask after the silence starts to stretch.

 

He gives a shaky nod.

 

You put your hand on his back. "Hey, before we get into anything, I need you to know that I love you, Peter. Nothing you tell me right now is going to change that.”

 

He swallows and looks down. “I uh, I love you too.” He lets out in a jumble. He can’t bring himself to say it with his usual confidence because why should you care, now that you know about him.

 

You see right through him. “Peter, I love you.” You tell him again, this time cupping his face and running your hands through his hair. “I love that you have silver hair. I think your kleptomania is endearing, and that your mutation-”

 

His eyes finally shoot up to look at you.

 

“Whatever it may be, is fascinating.” You lean in, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

 

When you break apart, he nods and wraps his arm around your waist. “Um, I’m fast.” He offers.

 

“You’re fast. Okay. That clears things right up.” You tease him. “Come on, tell me more. How fast can you run? Is that all you can do or does it come with weird side effects?”

 

“I don’t know exactly how fast I can run. Faster than sound, for sure. My thought process is just as fast.”

 

You think for a moment. “So does the world move in slow motion for you, then?”

 

“When I get up to speed, it’s like time stops. But when I’m walking with someone else or sitting around, it’s- it depends. If I’m interested in what’s happening, or whenever I’m with you, I don’t mind that things seem to be moving so slow. But more often than not, it’s like when you’re waiting in line at the ATM, you’re late for work and the guy in front of you doesn’t know what he’s doing. Only you’re in a perpetual line and nobody knows what they’re doing.”

 

“That explains why you’re so impatient.”

 

He lets out a laugh. “I guess it does.” He pauses. “So, you’re not angry or, I don’t know, scared?”

 

“No, Peter, I’m not.”

 

“And this-” he motions between you. “ _ Us _ . We aren’t over?”

 

You tangle your hand in his hair as you lean in for a kiss. “I’ll never leave you alone, Peter.” You murmur against his lips.

 

He smiles, pressing a kiss to your lips before pulling back to look at you. “I’m sorry I left you earlier. I should have known you wouldn’t care if I was a mutant.”

 

“Oh, I care. It worries me. Now I know that all that hatred I see is directed at you and people like you. I do care about how it changes and effects every aspect of your life.”

 

“I know, I should have told you sooner.”

 

“That would’ve been nice to know, yeah. But I understand why you didn’t tell me.” You pause, looking at his packed bags by the door. “Where were you headed?”

 

“I’ve been training with a group of mutants called the x-men. They’re based under a school for mutants. I was going to go take the professor up on his offer to stay there.”

 

“And now?”

 

“I don’t know, I've been thinking about it for a while but I didn't want to disappear on you. And every day I didn't tell you about my mutation, the harder it got to bring it up." He pauses. "It would be good for me to get out of my mom’s basement. It’s not too far from here. You could visit me anytime. I can come see you. It’s not like I’d be going to a high-security prison.”

 

You laugh. “Just a low-security one?”

 

“Alright, that was a bad analogy. But you get what I’m saying.”

 

“Yeah, I do.”

 

“The professor is always ready to meet new people, mutant or not. Would you maybe want to help me move? That way you’ll know where it is and you’ll get to see it for yourself. It really is amazing.”

 

“I’d love to. Peter, I’m so happy that you found a place where you’re embraced.”

 

He grins as he looks at you.

 

“What?”

 

He shakes his head, smile still plastered on his face. “I can't believe I ever thought I had to hide from you."

 


End file.
